2008 Honda Accord Tourer 2.0L i-VTEC 6MT FWD (156 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Honda introduced the eighth generation of the Accord for the European market at the 2008 Geneva International Motor Show, unveiling both car versions, the sedan and the station wagon.

The Japanese automaker dropped the Aerodeck moniker for the station wagon shape of the Accord after the sixth generation of its contender in the mid-size European segment, adopting the Tourer instead. While its predecessor was penned with the “form-follow-function” idea in mind, things went differently for the 2008 Honda Accord Tourer. The automaker tried to shape it more elegantly. Furthermore, the car’s interior had more upscale features. Honda even marketed the Accord lineup as a pre-premium product, ensuring its customers that they’d get luxurious features but with a price fit for mass-market vehicles. Unfortunately, the world financial crisis that started in late 2007 had already begun to affect European sales, and Honda wasn’t spared. As a result, the car manufacturer decided to pull the plug on this lineup in 2015. It just wasn’t worth it to upgrade the vehicle to the Euro 6 emission standards, which were due to come into force in September 2015.

Like its sedan sibling, the 2008 Honda Accord Tourer had a front fascia inspired by a samurai warrior. Its angular-shaped headlights, with their swept-back design and tilted inwards, made a clear stance for the vehicle. It looked aggressive, and customers seemed to enjoy it. The broad grille between them had three chromed horizontal slats that supported the H-badge in the middle. Thanks to the enlarged front fenders, the car looked like it was ready to attack the one in front of it. Furthermore, the apron featured an additional air intake in the middle, while the side scoops that flanked it could host the fog lamps.

With a profile that looked identical to the one offered by the Sedan version up to the B-post, the 2008 Honda Accord Tourer gained some points for its design. Furthermore, the ascending beltline had a chromed trim that underlined the windows. Honda didn’t want to cut corners, so it used unique doors. Behind the rear ones, next to the trunk space, the automaker installed a third set of windows. Finally, at the back, the raked forward tailgate created a more dynamic look for the car than the one offered by its predecessor. Under the rear bumper, depending on the engine version, it featured one or two exhausts.

Inside, customers were greeted by a vast cabin. The 2008 Honda Accord Tourer featured cloth or leather upholstery, depending on the grade, and all the other amenities provided in the sedan. However, all versions got the same comfortable, mildly bolstered front seats. Fronting the driver was a new instrument cluster featuring large dials for the speedometer and tachometer, even in the vehicle’s most basic grade. In the back, the split-folding bench seat could expand the trunk from 459 liters (16.2 cu-ft) to a better 1,183 liters (41.8 cu-ft). This wasn’t a huge performance in the European mid-size estate segment, where cars such as the Ford Mondeo or the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra Caravan could provide way more than that.

However, the car’s most significant problem that prevented it from increasing sales was the small engine lineup. Unlike its main contenders, who benefited from a wide choice of powerplants, the 2008 Honda Accord Tourer was available with just three: a 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter inline-four and a 2.2-liter turbodiesel. In some European countries, such as Italy, Portugal, and Greece, vehicles with over two-liter displacement were taxed way more than those who stayed under that displacement, and during the world financial crisis, that mattered significantly.